


Captured

by hernameinthesky



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, M/M, Pre-Slash, They’re caught by the elves, and also by each other, do i win worst title yet?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27243928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hernameinthesky/pseuds/hernameinthesky
Summary: Bilbo is discovered in Thraduil’s kingdom.
Relationships: Bilbo Baggins/Thorin Oakenshield
Comments: 4
Kudos: 60





	Captured

**Author's Note:**

> For the prompt “The door’s locked.” on tumblr. I’m [in-the-sky](https://in-the-sky.tumblr.com/) if you’d like to send in a prompt.

Bilbo woke slowly, drifting peacefully in and out of sleep. He was cuddled in a soft blanket and had a vague idea that it was early, there was no need for him to rise for a while. Hunger was not yet so insistent as to be uncomfortable, but a gentle edge that made the anticipation of a nice, hot breakfast all the more pleasant. Toast to start with, he thought, with melted butter and marmalade. Then perhaps a bowl of porridge, with cream and whatever berries he had in the pantry... strawberries? Or was it blackberry time? The thought tugged at him, his confusion confusing in itself... What did he have in the pantry? The realisation that he had no idea drew him out of sleep completely, and the sudden remembrance that he was not at home at all but hiding in the kingdom of Thranduil was like a cold bucket of water over his head. 

He sat up, wondering at the slippery blanket that covered him and the complete darkness. He always went to sleep somewhere with at least a little light to avoid situations just like this. He thought he’d gone to sleep in a storeroom, behind some barrels of wine, and light had shone through the crack beneath the door. He looked around and was met with only cold blackness. No need to panic, he told himself, breathing deeply to still his suddenly pounding heart. So somebody had put out the light. And the blanket... he felt at the material. It was cool and silky, soft as rain against his skin. It reminded him of the bedding in Rivendell. Had there been material over the barrels? He couldn’t remember. He couldn’t feel the barrels either, when he stretched out his hand.

Fear crept slowly towards him, then sprang all at once as he finally realised why he was so comfortable - the cold weight of the ring was gone from his finger. He scrabbled around on the stone floor, uncaring as the blanket slithered away entirely and the cold air bit at his exposed hands and legs. It had to be here somewhere. It had slipped off, or he had taken it off in his sleep. He had not, _could_ not have lost it. The ring was their only chance of escape. He could not let the company down by being so stupid as to lose it.

Only bare stone met his seeking fingers.

It was painfully like when he woke in the cave beneath Goblin-town, alone and unlooked for, the only other life a creeping creature who wanted to eat him- He cried out in fear as his hands encountered something warm and unmistakably alive, his head full of images of Gollum leaping towards him with bared teeth- A warm hand gripped his wrist and a familiar voice grumbled, “You’re awake then. And you thought you’d wake me too, to share in your suffering.” 

Bilbo could have laughed with relief. But then disappointment crashed over him. He closed his eyes, sagging back against the wall.

“I was discovered, then,” he said.

Thorin’s fingers tightened momentarily around his wrist, then released him. “Aye, Master Baggins. You were discovered.”

His voice held no accusation, but the hopelessness colouring every word made Bilbo’s insides squirm with guilt.

“I’m so sorry, Thorin,” he said quietly.

There was a long pause before Thorin spoke. “It was an impossible task you had, and inevitable that they would find you.”

Bilbo wished he would say more, offer forgiveness or comfort, but he remained silent except for his deep, steady breathing. He was sat close enough that Bilbo could feel the warmth of his body, and it made him shiver anew at the damp chill in the air. He tried half-heartedly to find the blanket again, but stilled when it was not in reaching distance. Fear still lingered and Bilbo was loath to leave Thorin’s side. 

“We’re not in the cell you were in before, are we?” Bilbo said. 

“No. I was taken to that accursed Elf King and questioned upon your discovery, and when I would not answer his questions I was taken deeper into the kingdom and put in this room with you. I think you must have been enchanted, for when I tried to wake you, you did not stir. Do you feel well now?”

Bilbo considered this and decided that, with the exception of being rather hungry, he felt fine. Thorin laughed bitterly when he said this.

“I would not get your hopes up, Master Baggins. We have been down here for at least a day and they haven’t brought us food. There is water here beside me and a chamber pot in the corner. One of the elves that guards us gave me a blanket when you began shivering, but otherwise they are uncaring of our comfort.”

“I suppose you have looked for a way out?” Bilbo said without much hope.

“Yes. The only door is locked and guarded at all times. They open a flap to give us fresh water every few hours, but it is so small not even you will fit through. After studying the walls, I have concluded that we are in a kind of chamber beneath the river, a space carved into rock. There is no breaking out.”

The thought of all that water pressing down on them made Bilbo shudder. He felt vulnerable in a way he hadn’t since the Misty Mountains, and his hand kept going automatically to his pocket only to find it empty.

“They have stolen my ring,” he said.

Thorin became rigid beside him.

“What ring?” he asked sharply.

Bilbo hesitated. He could not say why he had kept the ring a secret, except that the idea of talking about it upset him in some deep way. For a second he felt almost angry at Thorin for asking, but then the feeling slipped away and he could breathe easily again.

“I found it when I fell in Goblin-town. It’s how I’ve been able to remain invisible all this time. I suppose somebody must have tripped over me when they came to get the wine and when they realised what the ring did, they took it for themselves.”

He glowered into the darkness, thinking of the thief that may even now be making off with his ring.

“No,” Thorin said, and his voice sounded strange to Bilbo, almost frightened. “You are right that you were found when an elf bumped into your invisible form, but I believe Thranduil has your ring.”

Bilbo shivered again and shifted closer to Thorin.

“What will he do with it?” 

“I don’t know. Bilbo, does the ring do ought but make you invisible?”

“What a strange question. No, not that I know of, though I hadn’t thought to experiment. Why do you ask?”

“Because Thranduil was made afraid by it. I have never seen him so... I believe he would have had you killed, but he was too afraid.”

“Had me-! It’s just a little ring. Terribly useful, but just a ring.”

“Perhaps you are right. I trust your judgement more than his.”

Thorin still sounded troubled though, and that troubled Bilbo. His hand strayed to his pocket... He curled his fingers into the material of his coat, finding comfort in rough material.

“Thorin...”

“Yes?”

The words seemed to lodge behind Bilbo’s teeth, and perhaps at any other time he would have swallowed them down, uncomfortable with their bareness. But he had been living in a shadow world for weeks, and Thorin was so warm and safe beside him. Bilbo would not lose his friendship for anything. 

“Can you forgive me?”

“I do not blame you.”

“I failed you. I did not find a way to get you out and I allowed myself to be captured. Worse, I allowed a powerful object to fall into the hands of your enemy. If your quest fails, it is in part my fault.”

“No, Master Baggins.” Thorin’s voice was as firm as the rock against Bilbo’s back. “Perhaps this quest has been cursed from the beginning or perhaps it is my leadership that is at fault. You are not to blame for my failure. On the contrary, I would not have gotten this far without you.”

The warmth in his voice went straight to Bilbo’s heart, and he smiled in the darkness, feeling that things weren’t so bad after all. 

“The quest must be cursed then, for you have always led us well,” he said. “But we have not failed yet. There is still time before Durin’s Day and we may escape. Or Gandalf will go to meet us at the mountain and will realise what has happened, and he will rescue us. I’d like to see even an elf king go up against him.”

He chortled at the image and even Thorin huffed in amusement. Then, quite suddenly, he gripped Bilbo’s shoulders and turned him around. Bilbo tensed with surprise, but then a warm, heavy forehead pressed against his own. 

“Thank you, Bilbo.”

It was almost as pleasant as a hug and, unless he was mistaken, more significant for dwarves. Thorin’s breath touched his lips and one of his hands gripped the back of Bilbo’s neck in a comfortably strong grip.

When he moved away, he left Bilbo all the colder by his absence and not a little flustered, though Bilbo tried not to think about why this should be. He swallowed and resisted the urge to pull Thorin back in.

“You’re welcome,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

The sound of footsteps coming nearer interrupted whatever he might have said next - lucky really, he thought, for he felt too touched by Thorin’s actions to be fully in control of himself and he might have said something embarrassingly sincere.

Thorin rose to his feet, tense and alert, and Bilbo followed him, bracing himself for what was to come. 

“Will they want to question me?” he asked, trying not to show how this scared him.

“Probably,” Thorin said. “But I will come with you, if they do. I will not allow them to harm you.”

Realistically, Bilbo knew this was a promise Thorin couldn’t make, but it was hard not to believe him when he stood as strong as stone beside Bilbo, with the warmth of his hands and breath still lingering on Bilbo’s skin. 


End file.
